Rack for drying articles.

ABSTRACT

A flexible material rack which can retract and extend away from roller and be attached to extended arms. The arms and the retractable rack provide a means for the device to take up less space when not in use. When in use, the rack can support clothing articles for drying.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/859,871, filed Jul. 30, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Soft material articles, clothing to name one example, are washed and eventually dried in many ways. One example of a way such articles are dried is by machine. The drying machines are large and use large amounts of resources such as gas and electricity. Another way such articles are dried is by hanging out in an open air space. The hanging devices, such as clotheslines to name an example, require large areas for placement and are often stationary. Soft material articles can also be laid out on small framed nettings to dry naturally.

Several problems can occur with these various ways for drying soft material articles. Machine dryers are expensive to purchase and environmentally detrimental. Hanging devices require large expanses of real estate for best location. Nettings are cumbersome in that they require assembly of a frame upon which the netting is placed. Additionally, nettings remain assembled and therefore require large spaces for use and storage. Nettings are also not easy to use because they must be removed from storage before they can be laid out, and at that time the user may not have floor space available to place the netting and its frame.

There is a need in the industry for an apparatus that is easy to use, inexpensive, takes up little space, and is less detrimental to the environment.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to an apparatus that is used to make drying of soft material articles convenient by being readily accessible, easily stored, and eliminates the need for harsh drying machines. The device provides a netting that is extendable and retractable and able to support varying weights of soft articles of clothing for drying.

Disclosed is one version of the apparatus for drying articles of clothing, the apparatus is made up of at least one holding member, the holding member is similar to the holding brackets used with traditional roll up window shades. The holding member can be made of any rigid material, but works best as a hard plastic or metal. The holding member can also be designed to form a cup housing. There is a roller, which again is similar to that used in roll up window shades. The invention has a flexible material rack which has an attaching portion.

The attaching portion will be that edge closest to the roller which is windably attached to the roller, this way the flexible material rack and the roller can move together allowing the flexible material rack to roll up onto the roller, or roll off of the roller, acting similar to a pull down window shade.

The roller is attached to the at least one holding member but not fixedly. The at least one holding member having at least one arm capable of supporting the flexible material rack, particularly when the flexible material rack is rolled off of the roller and somewhat taut. The flexible material rack being removably attachable to the at least one arm, e.g. one edge of the flexible material rack is attached to the arm and the other remains attached to the roller. The arm can support the flexible material rack in many ways that are understood but the inventor envisions that the flexible material rack is attached to the at least one arm in a taut configuration, e.g. it is pulled out and hooked to the arm. The roller being elongated, pin like.

The flexible material rack having a pullout portion which is positioned substantially opposite the attaching portion, opposite sides of a rectangle for example. When the pullout section is pulled out or pushed in then there is winding done by the fully reciprocable roller used for winding and unwinding the flexible material rack upon reciprocation of the pullout portion. Essentially, a person pulls on the pullout portion and the roller will spin to let out the flexible material rack and when the pullout portion is pushed back, the roller will spin to wind up the flexible material rack.

The at least one arm works by being attached by at least one joint to the at least one holding member. This way the arm can be positioned in an extended position or in a non-extended position, the latter for when the apparatus is not in use. This at least one arm is capable of supporting the flexible material rack by extendably attaching to the pullout portion. In that confiruation the clothes to be dried can be placed upon the flexible material rack for drying.

Disclosed in a second version of the inventive apparatus for drying articles of clothing, the apparatus shows a flexible material rack. The flexible material rack being rollably connected to a roller pin which can be partially enclosed within a housing, such as the cup formed by a so designed holding member. The housing having attached to its ends foldable arms that are hinged at a location near the housing. The flexible material rack being removably attached to the foldable arms by an attaching means that hooks the flexible material rack to the foldable arms. The housing being mountable to a wall, and then a material article, such as a shirt, is laid upon the flexible material rack to be dryed.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawing where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus embodying features of the present invention with a material article being placed upon the apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another version of an apparatus embodying features of the present invention, illustrated in a collapsed view.

DESCRIPTION

Overview.

As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus embodying features of the present invention with a material article 5 being placed upon the apparatus comprises a flexible material rack 1 being rollably connected to a roller pin 7. The roller pin 7 being partially enclosed within a housing 6. The housing having attached at to its ends foldable arms 2. The foldable arms being hinged at a location 4 near the housing 6. The flexible material rack 1 being removably attached to the foldable arms by an attaching means 3. The foldable arms 2 being foldable to close generally in the direction along A. The housing 6 being mountable to a wall or the like. A material article 5, such as a shirt, is laid upon the flexible material rack 1 to dry.

As shown in FIG. 2, another version of an apparatus embodying features of the present invention, illustrated in a collapsed view comprises foldable arms 8 and 9 shown in a closed and folded position. A flexible material rack 11 rolled back around a roller pin 10, the roller pin 10 being partially contained within a housing 12.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification. The contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalents or similar features. 

What I claim is:
 1. An apparatus for drying articles of clothing, the apparatus comprising: (a) at least one holding member; (b) a roller; (c) a flexible material rack; (d) the flexible material rack having an attaching portion; (e) the attaching portion being windably attached to the roller; (f) the roller being attached to the at least one holding member; (g) the at least one holding member having at least one arm; (h) the flexible material rack being removably attachable to the at least one arm; (i) the at least one arm being capable of supporting the flexible material rack.
 2. The rack of claim 1 further comprising: (a) the roller being elongated; (b) the flexible material rack having a pullout portion; (c) the pullout portion being positioned substantially opposite the attaching portion; (d) the fully reciprocable roller used for winding and unwinding the flexible material rack upon reciprocation of the pullout portion; (e) the at least one arm being attached by at least one joint to the at least one holding member; (f) the at least one arm being capable of supporting the flexible material rack by extendably attaching to the pullout portion.
 3. An apparatus for drying articles of clothing, the apparatus comprising: (a) at least one holding member; (b) a roller; (c) a flexible material rack; (d) the flexible material rack having an attaching portion; (e) the attaching portion being windably attached to the roller; (f) the roller being attached to the at least one holding member; (g) the at least one holding member having at least one arm; (h) the flexible material rack being removably attachable to the at least one arm; (i) the at least one arm being capable of supporting the flexible material rack; (j) the roller being elongated; (k) the flexible material rack having a pullout portion; (l) the pullout portion being positioned substantially opposite the attaching portion; (m)the fully reciprocable roller used for winding and unwinding the flexible material rack upon reciprocation of the pullout portion; (n) the at least one arm being attached by at least one joint to the at least one holding member; (o) the at least one arm being capable of supporting the flexible material rack by extendably attaching to the pullout portion.
 4. An apparatus for drying articles of clothing, the apparatus comprising: (a) a flexible material rack; (b) the flexible material rack being rollably connected to a roller pin; (c) the roller pin being partially enclosed within a housing; (d) the housing having attached to its ends foldable arms; (e) the foldable arms being hinged at a location near the housing; (f) the flexible material rack being removably attached to the foldable arms by an attaching means that hooks the flexible material rack to the foldable arms; (g) the housing being mountable to a wall; (h) a material article, such as a shirt, being laid upon the flexible material rack to dry. 